This Thursdays Play With M.O.D. Broadcast: Valiant Hearts

This weeks theme is going to be gamification, or more specifically how good game design can influence an interest in learning.  To illustrate this point we’ll be taking a look at Valiant Hearts. Set during World War I, Valiant Hearts is a puzzle game that shows you the horror of war and the innocent people caught up by it.

Some questions to keep in mind this Thursday:

-What makes this story good?

-How does this spark interest in learning?

-What makes this fun?

-What makes this game memorable?

So remember, this Thursday(if the hacking doesn’t interfere) at 2:00PM EST on “playMODtv“

Crush, Burn, Learn From The Wreckage

Courtesy of myfacewhen.net

The first life stream was fun.  If your definition of fun his a dingy floating in the middle of the sea, slightly jutting forward every other fifteen minutes.  This isn’t to say that there was fault with the hard was the hardware or the software, more the guy running it.  The whole matter could have been promoted better, for  starters.  Second, the game choice may not have been the best.  Grand Theft Auto V is a fun, but sadistic acts of random violence doesn’t send the right message for a first impression.  The online mode was buggy anyway.  Third and for most, there was a lot of dead air.  Partly due to no audience to play off of and the hunger I was feeding when nothing was happening.  So yeah, if that save you can watch an hour of me in first person mode, driving like an ass, and hurting people.  So What am I going to do?

Let’s start with a designated time.  How does Thursdays at 2:00 PM est sound to you?  I’m open to suggestion.  As for choosing the right game.  I’ll try and lean towards something accessible to everyone or post and the games I do have in a poll and let you vote.  I’m also going to remember that this is a visual representation of the blog and try to focus the plays on particular themes that the game may fit (e.g.game design, storytelling, immersion).  The reason for the themes is to give a sense of why and perhaps others play games, as well as open a dialog that answers question about gaming, like why we play or find it as a more engaging task over other things in our lives.  So there you have it.  We just outlined the mission statement of our live-stream and upgraded from a dingy to a barge. Niccccce.

Remember, the channel name is playMODtv on either Twitch or Ustream(link later once the kinks are worked out).

The PS4 Hype Bus Takes A Pit Stop

Scroll the blog posts and you’ll notice my roots in gaming are with Sony.  I really should have typed a piece on the Sony Experience event in Las Vegas.  Maybe later,  for now check this:

-Remote Play is a game changer.
The PS Vita allows you to run the PlayStation 4 through a solid Wi-Fi connection.   I could play Destiny or any of the other games on the Vita.

-Sharing is caring
The share button on the PS4 controller prompts four choices;  take screen shot, upload video, broadcast,  and share play.   “Take Screenshot”, captures the screen as it was when you pressed the “SHARE” button.   “Upload Video”, save and/or uploads videos to Facebook, Twitter, or YouTube.

-Live from the couch
“Broadcast, allows you to live stream plays on the system through either Twitch.tv or Ustream.   You can find this blog under the title “playMODtv“.
(Did this silly sod just drop crit knowledge of the goings-on of the visual aspects of the blog?! *Yes I did, except a live stream this Thursday. *)

-Play together, stay together
PS4 friends have the ability to virtually past the sticks to friends and let them get you through the part that you are clearly tanking and need the assist.

So I’m going to hope back on this bus.  Catch you later.

Games I Have To Review Within A Month….

• The Binding Of Issac*
• Blue Estate
• Grand Theft Auto V on PS4
• Luftrausers
• PlayStation Experience Event**

*  Also a good post in there about game design & tangential learning***

**More of a post event breakdown

***So I actually gave a lecture/presentation on game design and learning a few months ago.  I should write about that.

Sipping On My Tea, Watching The World Burn

Amazingly ascendant arsonists believe, bears bring Christ, caviar containing dried dolphin drops.  Even erratic evangelist, find fault forging, good gains galvanizing, hardened, high hopes, in incandescent illusions. Just jostling juvenile, kyte kicking kings, loses large lumps mostly making masturbation notoriously never numbing. Obviously, otters order protection. Perhaps penguins, quietly,  quarter quivering, rambunctious, ravioli rounds.  Starting state sieges, terrorizing tremendous titans, under utilizing understanding. View vollies varnishing Winchester with, XIII X-rayed xenophobes, yelling “Yearn you!” zapping Zotter’s zones.

 

 

Just post something

Three dudes having a dialog on diuretics,
Meanwhile,
A mantis of super biogenetics,
Terrorizes a village who’s main export,
Manischewitz,
bootleg at the very best.
But enough about Ontario,
Have you seen where I put my stereo?
Estar y yo?
Is that clever or racist?
Most likely deep seeded prejudice.
Pre-judged ice,
Frozen water dancers scoring below zero in the figure skating contest.
*Taps cigar*
“Stop.”
I would if I could,
But I should let you know,
I operate on an endless cycle of self sabotage.

“Stop that too.”

Why?

I fear that I’ll become addicted to my success and push away those closest to me.

“You already push people away and you don’t even try to succeed.”

“I think I get what you’re saying now.”

So why you all were doing the thyme warp,

I grabbed a handful of oregano,

And convinced a group of adolescences,

That when you put your mind to IT,

The clown just bashes  it on a PC till the problem is no more.

“I hate you so much right now.”

Ah but you could never out do myself loathing,

Why else would I take the best things in my life and question why they’re there?

“Was there a point to this?”

Nope,

One part clever,

Three parts self referential,

10 parts binary.

“…”

“Shouldn’t you be focused on your work?”

Have you forgotten?

This is an extension of my work.

“this a declaration of madness.”

“Evidence of an unorganized mind that can’t focus its talents to raise its own station.”

*one minute left till post concludes*

A universe so massive is being funneled through the eye of a needle,

I have strong doubts we will ever see the end result.

Big talk,

Small actions,

Average expectations.

“You need help.”

I need purpose and focus.